New Delhi, Oct 15: Sixty one Maoists, including senior CPI (Maoist) central committee member Mallojula Venugopal Rao, also known as Bhupati, surrendered to Maharashtra Police at Fodewada village in Bhamragad on the night of October 13-14.
Bhupati, 70, is considered one of the key strategists behind the extremist movement.
Among those who surrendered were two State zonal committee members, 10 divisional committee members, and cadres from Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, reports regional media.
The Maoists handed over 54 weapons, including seven AK-47s, six SLRs, and six INSAS rifles, reports regional media. Bhupati’s surrender follows that of his wife, Tarakka (alias Vimala Sidam), and his sister-in-law, who had previously turned themselves in to Telangana Police. Authorities said Bhupati’s decision to surrender was influenced by dissatisfaction with the direction of the movement and the example set by other surrendered Maoist leaders in Maharashtra. His surrender is being viewed as a major step in dismantling the core leadership of the insurgency. Maharashtra Police had been working for several months to secure the surrender, with multiple state police forces competing to facilitate the return of the high-profile Maoist leader.
